Source: FOOTYMAD
Two in a Row
FF's match report from Easter Road where Walter Smith and his men wrapped up a second successive league championship, two weeks and three games before the end of the season. Hibernian 0 Rangers 1 (Lafferty 17)Attendance 10,573Rangers are Champions - retaining the SPL title with a 1-0 win over Hibernian at Easter Road this afternoon courtesy of a first-half goal from Kyle Lafferty.On a bright, sunny day in Edinburgh a small band of Light Blue followers, numbering perhaps 2,000 in all, celebrated the club's 53rd Championship loudly and at length.With many thousands of 'Gers fans locked outside, Manager Walter Smith made two changes from last weekend with Maurice Edu and Steven Naismith replacing Madjid Bougherra (injured yet again) and Kris Boyd.The reigning Champions were aware that earlier Celtic had won 2-0 at Tannadice, hence a victory in Leith was required to secure the Championship today. Rangers were all out for an early goal - from a Kevin Thomson corner in twelve minutes David Weir's header was skied over by Kenny Miller from point-blank range.Three minutes later Miller again was clean through on a Lafferty head-flick only to lift the ball over the bar.The opening goal was merely delayed however - Lafferty netting with an angled drive from a Miller pass in seventeen minutes.The goal brought out the worst in the home fans who were spending more time searching for 'Gers followers in their midst than actually watching the game. Indeed some of the hatred and bile spewing forth from those in green-and-white was worthy of detention and arrest in itself…Hibernian were certainly not here simply to make up the numbers - nine minutes later Derek Riordan's thirty-yard piledriver came back off Allan McGregor's chest before being cleared.Rangers still retained the greater threat however - from a Thomson free-kick in 33 minutes Weir headed back across goal for Maurice Edu to skim the crossbar with a close-range header.Six minutes later from a John Rankin corner Darren McCormack headed inches wide of the target.The half ended with Rangers ahead by that precious early strike - yet nine minutes after the restart Hibs again came close to levelling the scores when David Wotherspoon played a one-two with Rankin before seeing his shot flash wide of goal.On the hour Riordan went down under a challenge from Steven Whittaker - but Referee Willie Collum of Carfin waved play on.Rangers stepped up the pace in search of a second and clinching goal - Naismith cutting in from the left before seeing his shot from the edge of the box held by home goalkeeper (and ex-Ranger) Graeme Smith.Miller had the ball in the net from a Davis pass only for the goal to be wrongly chalked off for offside.Nacho Novo replaced Miller in 75 minutes.Sixty seconds later Riordan's angled volley from a Nish knockdown was touched wide by McGregor.Nish had the ball in the net in 84 minutes only for the strike to be disallowed for a foul on Lee McCulloch.Rangers survived some concerted home pressure in the closing minutes and the final whistle confirmed their second consecutive League Championship.Afterwards a delighted Walter Smith summarised:"I was delighted to win. We've asked a lot of our players this season. They've achieved a great consistency, demonstrated resilience and worked hard. We've got a good group of players - there's just not enough of them…we should savour the moment." HIBERNIAN Smith; McCormack, Hogg (Thicot 45), Hanlon, Murray; Wotherspoon, Cregg (Nish 54), McBride, Rankin; Stokes (Benjelloun 72), Riordan UNUSED SUBS Ma-Kalambay, Stevenson, Gow, GalbraithRANGERS McGregor; Whittaker, Weir, McCulloch, Papac; Davis, Edu, Thomson, Naismith; Miller (Novo 75), LaffertyUNUSED SUBS Alexander, Boyd, Broadfoot, Fleck, Little, Bendiksen REFEREE Willie Collum
